breast cancer

A nipple sparing mastectomy is one method of performing this surgical procedure. The surgical term "mastectomy" is used for several variations of the procedure. It may involve removing one or both breasts, portions, or incising regions in the armpits in order to take out the lymph nodes. These operations are done to get rid of breast cancer in the early or later stages. This disease often begins in the milk ducts and is then called ductal carcinoma. Although certain risk factors point to an increased chance of developing this disease, doctors aren't really sure why some women get it and others don't. Here are some different types of mastectomies:

- Nipple sparing: This operation entails removing tissue but leaving the skin, nipple and areola. The chest wall muscles are often left, as well. Biopsies of the lymph systems may be performed simultaneously and the bosom is reconstructed right away.

- Skin sparing: In this version, which is appropriate for small tumors, the nipple and areola are removed as well as tissue but the outer skin is left intact. With this technique, reconstruction would be done at the same time.

- Total: A total or simple version is when the entire breast is removed. Biopsy would be done at the same time in order to examine the sentinel lymph region.

- Modified radical: This is one of the more complete variations of this operation. A surgeon would remove all skin, tissue, nipple, areola, chest muscles and even part of the wall. Lymph systems in the armpits would also be targeted.

Each of these operations would be done in patients who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. This disease is now considered the most common of cancers in U.S. women besides skin cancer. Other treatments that are often performed simultaneously include chemotherapy and radiation. While a plastic surgeon would perform a nipple sparing mastectomy and reconstructive operations, different doctors would oversee the chemotherapy and radiation. An oncologist is the chemo prescriber and the radiologist would oversee the radiation. Some reconstruction possibilities include:

- Implants: A plastic surgeon can reconstruct the region with medical devices called implants. These are filled with either silicone or saline solution. They may be placed immediately or in a later surgery after an expander has been used to stretch the skin.

- Flap surgeries: There are various flap methods that surgeons use to move skin and tissue from one region to the chest to create mounds that resemble breasts. There are DIEP, TRAM and Latissimus flap procedures. The regions where tissue is brought from may be the abdomen or the back.

- Nipple reconstruction: If the nipple wasn't spared, there are ways to recreate a nipple and areola after the original operation has healed. A doctor may take a tuck with a suture or cut a star-like incision in the area. A tattoo in a deeper skin tone would be applied to create the areola.

When a patient has breast cancer, there are various options for treatment. One of them is the nipple sparing mastectomy; others are more radical. The operation that is chosen will be an individual decision depending on the patients' need.

A nipple sparing mastectomy is a great option for women who would like to retain as much of their original anatomy as possible. If you would like to learn more about this procedure: http://www.breastcenter.com/.

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Many women are hard-hit when the diagnosis for a breast lump is confirmed as breast cancer. One thing that would come to the mind of this patient is endangered life and loss of breast. There is a big fear for cancer. However, with an earlier diagnosis and treatment, a breast cancer patient will have a high survival rate. When your cancer surgeon decides on your mastectomy to prevent the spread of cancer in the breast, you should never panic. Mastectomy has a short healing process and without the cancer-affected breast, you can be blessed with a longer life.

Mastectomy is the surgical removal of the breast - total removal and perhaps some of the tissues surrounding the affected breast. And there are different degrees of mastectomy. These are partial, simple or total, modified radical and radical mastectomy. The kind may be dependent on the stage of the breast cancer and the spread and aggressiveness of cancer cells in the breast, lymph nodes or chest walls. In several cases, mastectomy is preferred over lumpectomy. The latter is merely the removal of the tumor and all the tissues that surround it.

Partial mastectomy will involve a simple removal of the lump and a few of the tissues surrounding it. This does not only remove cancerous tumor. The procedure may also remove some healthy tissues surrounding the tumor. Lumpectomy can also be classified as partial mastectomy except that in the partial mastectomy, a bigger amount of breast tissues are removed.

The simple or total mastectomy will require the removal of the breast but will not involve removal of the lymph nodes or the muscles underlying the breast. When both breasts are affected, a double mastectomy can be the surgical procedure. Some cancer surgeons do skin sparing mastectomy which involves removal of the areola and the nipple. In the subcutaneous mastectomy, the surgeon removes the breast tissues but the nipple will be left untouched.

In simple or total mastectomy, the focus is the surgical removal of the breast tissues. This will not involve the auxiliary lymph node dissection. The simple or total mastectomy is performed when the patient is diagnosed to have multiple patches of carcinoma. This is also prophylactic in nature, not a treatment per se, but may be a preventive measure against occurrence of high risk breast cancer.

Breast removal involving the whole breast and some auxiliary lymph nodes is known as modified radical mastectomy. In this procedure, both breast tissues and lymph nodes are removed. The procedure will involve the removal of the whole breast after which the lymph nodes are dissected such that the underarm nodes can be removed.

A diagnosis of invasive cancer may force the woman to undergo mastectomy, usually a modified radical mastectomy. This will make the examination of the lymph nodes thorough and easier. This will determine whether the cancer has spread or not beyond the breast area.

The radical mastectomy may be the highest level of breast removal and surgery. Here, the breast, auxiliary lymph nodes and the chest wall muscles are removed. This procedure is more common in the past. Today, this is no longer the last resort; in fact this is only done when the cancer had spread to the chest muscles. Modified radical mastectomy is usually sufficient.

Felicitas Ramos is writing articles as a hobby and she writes on different niches. She is in her 4th year of battle with Stage 2-A breast cancer. Read more about breast cancer by visiting her site Health And Fitness Today

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